West Jerusalem

So we took a walk around West Jerusalem yesterday.
Cool sights included:
A neat old Windmill in the middle of this pretty park. (Unfortunately it's not windy at all...)


And a cool view from the top of the YMCA tower.


And I have more fun pictures but the internet is slow. So that's all for now!

The Dead Sea

Well this was certainly fun. Here we are floating. Totally floating. It was so WEIRD! Like we were on another planet or something... We could even stand in the water!


And of course....the Dead Sea Mud is to DIE for... (I do look like a monster that could kill someone!)

Walk Like An Egyptian

Ok, so here are some really fun photos from my trip to Africa!

Yes...I actually saw and climbed on an in a wonder of the ancient world. Cool!


And I rode a camel through Luxor. Probably one of the coolest things I've ever done...



And finally, I will treat you all to a preview of Lis and me doing our belly dancing. Yes, apparently the belly dancers in Ancient Egypt were important enough to put on the wall. Next mission: find a belly dancing outfit...

The Old City

I've discovered it's not nearly as much fun as I hoped to be in the Holy Land taking a million pictures and not being able to show them to the loved ones back home (due to really SLOW internet connections, attaching pictures to e-mails is not possible).
So here are a few fun ones:


Me at Dome of the Rock (Those biblical scholars in the crowd may realize that I'm standing on Mt. Moriah!)

Me in the Orson Hyde Memorial Park (Well done, Grandpa Nelson!)

Stayed tuned for more documentation of my Middle East(and Northern Africa) Adventures! (And to put your mind at ease, yes, I did escape Pharaoh's Wrath.)

Ignorance is Bliss

Ignorance is bliss...A cliche proudly stated by the few who would rather not know when something goes wrong. My mom's personal version of this cliche is, "Just close your eyes and it'll all go away." These cliches, and several others, can be summed up in the proverbial statement, "What you don't know can't hurt you." Usually when we hear this, we shrug and agree or laugh it off. Of course what we don't know can't hurt us. Or can it?

In an article (beacon security risks) written by a senior research engineer with CA's Anti-Spyware Research team, Facebook's Beacon (the new system to transmit data from affiliate websites to Facebook) security and privacy issues were absolutely torn apart. There are two shocking issues that make this new system uncomfortable for many knowledgeable users: first, that they send the information even when you select to opt out of the data transmission, (Facebook still gets it, but just doesn't publish it) and second, that they do all of this without notifying the user. The secret transmission of data to companies when the user doesn't know about it is certainly becoming more and more of an internet safety issue. Many of the people who use Facebook aren't particularly internet savvy and may not even think about possible safety issues in terms of their data. In fact, even after all the bad publicity about Beacon, I'm sure there are many people out there who are still happily clicking away while sitting in ignorance. Some may complain that these people aren't hurt at all when their data is given to Facebook without their knowledge, but issues like this don't stop with Facebook. They can easily expand and become harmful. For instance, what about when a customer's buying tendencies are unknowingly given out and they become the target of spam advertisements? Or their credit card number is sold? Or their identity is stolen? Ignorance can hurt. And it will if companies continue to take advantage of the innocent and the "innocent" chose to be ignorant.

Alma's advice on Internet Safety

In Alma 37, Alma is getting ready to pass the golden plates down to his son, Helaman. As he discusses with Helaman the beautiful and important records that are found on those plates and the various reasons for which Helaman should use them, he takes great care in instructing Helaman what to do with the records about those who had not been so righteous. In Alma's opinion, making Helaman aware of those records was vital so that he would know the potential problems and how to avoid them. However, Alma cautions Helaman quite zealously not to share all the same information with the people. Alma says, "I command you that ye retain all their oaths, and their covenants, and their agreements in their secret abominations; yea, and all their signs and their wonders ye shall keep from this people, that they know them not, lest peradventure they should fall into darkness also and be destroyed" (Alma 37:27). We can learn from this lesson that it is important to teach our children to be aware of evils, but also that we do not need to teach them everything about those evils. For example, when a parent leaves a child alone for a bit, he or she may say, "Do not eat the cookies while I'm gone." He or she would never say, "Do not pull a chair over to the counter, and climb up on it and reach your hand into the cookie jar and eat a cookie, ok?" Too much information may actually increase curiosity. We normally hear this idea in relation to teaching the law of chastity, but I believe it also applies to internet safety. Parents need to be especially aware of teaching their children safety techniques; they definitely need to set limits to internet use, but that does not mean that they explain in detail to their children the problems with everything they may ever possibly encounter in any situation. Children don't need to be shown every chatroom they should avoid, instead they need to be taught about appropriate behavior and what their options are. As we teach principles, people will be able to use their agency to govern their use of the internet and allow it to be the wonderful tool that God intended.

Business Strategy

Wise men learn by other men's mistakes, fools by their own."
-- H. G. Wells

This quote, timeless in its application, seems to sum up quite accurately the thinking and mentality of Asia's businessman of the year, Sunil Mittal. Mittal is the head of the largest mobile provider in India. It wasn't always the biggest, however. Several years ago, as the wireless market was taking off, Mittal had a big decision to make: how was he going to stay on top? Instead of sticking with tradition and absently following the market, Mittal decided to be wise and learn from the experience of others, particularly those in America and other nations. Although he lived in India, where all the outsourcing was taking place, Mittal decided to apply their reasons for success to his own business. He outsourced. From India. Although it was revolutionary at the time, it made all the difference. The business strategy demonstrated by Wells' quote, if used carefully, can lead to many successes in the technology world. As companies innovate to expand, strengthen and improve their services, others will be watching. The key to success is being ready to change, even when that change contradicts the accepted. People looking to make a difference have to be willing to take a risk. At times, it is appropriate to learn through your own mistakes, but if you carefully watch others' success you may be able to improve by following their ideas. Mittal is the perfect example of noticing a new idea and then applying it, despite the unconventionality of it. He learned from America the value of outsourcing. He applied it and gained billions in revenue. He leads the market in India...all because he learned from another man's experience.

Asia Business Man of the Year